New Zealand Grand National.—A meeting was held at the Somerset Hotel yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering the matter of a guarantee from the Ashburton Racing Club to defray the expenses of holding the Grand National Steeplechase meeting in this county. There was but a moderate attendance. Mr M. Stitt was voted to the chair. After some discussion it was resolved that the following resolution be forwarded to the secretary of the Grand National Club; —“ That it is impracticable to issue a guarantee from the Ashburton Racing Club, but provided the next Steeplechase Meeting of the Grand National Steeplechase Club be held at Ashburton, the gentlemen present at this meeting guarantee subscriptions to the amount of L2OO towards defraying any loss that may accrue from the meeting. ” After transacting some other business the meeting adjourned.

Mr Purnell at the Town Hall. —Mr C. W. Purnell addressed the Wakanui electors last evening at the Town Hall, and received a vote of thanks and confidence. A full report of the proceedings appears elsewhere. Chertsey Annual Sports. —A meeting will be held at Wallace’s Hotel on Thursday evening next, to arrange for the annual sports meeting on the New Year’s Day. Ashburton Election. A deputation of gentlemen from the Mount Somers district waited upon Mr Wason yesterday with a very influential requisition, asking him to contest the Ashburton seat with Mr Wright. Mr Wason, acting under the advice of his committee, and not wishing to oppose Mr Wright, declined the honor, and thanked the deputation for their courtesy in asking him to represent them.

1.0.G.T.—0n Monday evening the ballot papers from each of the Good Templar Lodges in the Ashburton district were opened by the local authorities of the Order, and the results of the polling for Grand Lodge representative for the district and for the District Deputyship were declared. The candidates for the representation at the Grand Lodge (which this year meets at Invercargill) were Bros. K. San do and Isaac Scott, and those for the District Deputyship Bros. Thos. Williams and G. F. Henry. Bro. Scott obtained a majority of 26 votes over Bro. Sando, and is consequently the representative of Ashburton at Invercargill. Bro. Henry having intimated his desire to withdraw from the contest for the Deputyship at an early stage of the poll, Bro. Williams’ election was of course assured. For the Grand Lodge contest, over 200 votes were polled in the district.

Accident. —A son of Mr Cox, of Wakanui, met with an accident to-day. He was thrown from the milk cart of which he had charge, and the wheel passed over him, breaking his left arm and inflicting other injuries.

Plains Wheat at Home. —Mr Megson, of Newlands, received advices per last mail from England that wheat grown by him on the plains had realised the satisfactory price of 58s per quarter. This is, we believe, the highest figure which New Zealand wheat has ever reached in the Home market, and we are sure this gratifying intelligence will be a source of encouragement to all farmers in the district, and more especially those residing on the plains.

“The Miller and His Men.”—The Amateur Dramatic Club will hold a meeting to-night, at 8 o’clock, when a full attendance is asked for by an adverment in this issue. A rehearsal of “The Miller and His Men ” will take place immediately after the preliminary meeting. A Successful Industry. —The Mosgiel woollen factory net a profit of L 6,930 for the year. They declare a dividend of 10 per cent., carrying forward L 4,400.

Nothing Like a Worb in Season.— During the hearing of the case against Weston or Worthington at the Police Court to-day, Mr Wilding, who was appearing for the defendant, took occasion to refer to the Corrupt Practices Act as being extremely faulty, whereupon Mr O’Reilly, who was seated at the solicitors’ table, remarked, loud enough for those around him to hear, “ Ah, they want more lawyers in the House !” It is needless to say that the professional brethren of the “wooer of sweet Wakanui” enjoyed a hearty laugh at that gentleman’s expense.

Wool Sale.— Mr Walter B. Moss, the Ashburton agent, notifies that the opening wool sale of the season of the N. Z. L. and M. Agency Company will be held at the store of Mr C. W. Turner, South Town Belt, at 2 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Not as it Should Be. —The man Miller who was charged with larceny at the Police Court this morning, and subsequently dismissed, made what appeared to be a very reasonable complaint, although the Bench, we suppose, was powerless to entertain it. Miller said that he was brought up a week ago on this very charge, and because the prosecutor did not choose to put in an appearance last Wednesday he was remanded until to-day, thus having to spend seven days in gaol to suit the convenience of his accuser. We hear a good deal about “the liberty of the subject,” but if this sort of thing is to be permitted the subject has not much cause for boasting on the score of liberty.

Tenders. —Mr R. D. Pullar invite ß tenders for a number of important works for the Upper Ashburton Road Board. Mr E. Button, Longbeach, invites tenders for dealing with gorse fences.

Farmers’ Co - operation. Messrs Tucker and Restell have been appointed agents in Ashburton for the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Limited. A Careless Pilot. —Holding that Chief Pilot Thomson was to blame for the wreck of the barque England’s Glory, the Bluff Harbor Board have discharged him. Fire. —A fire broke out last evening in Messrs Wood and Smith’s shop, George street, Timaru, but water from the mains was at once played on it, and the flames were soon subdued.

Death of Dr Burrows. —This gentlemen unfortunately succumbed to the accident which befel him last week in Dunedin. It will be remembered that whilst driving in Dunedin his horse bolted down one of the streets and threw the doctor out on his head against the wheel of a dray that was standing in the street. He gradually grew worse, and died yesterday afternoon. The deceased had been for some time in the Royal Navy, and whilst in Bermuda was chief medical officer to the Hospital there.

Wesleyan District Meeting —This meeting was continued yesterday in the Durham street schoolroom, Christchurch, at 9.80 a.m., when, in addition to the ministers already assembled, the following ministers were present :—Revs. W. H. Beck, Timaru ; J. J. Lewis, Waimate ; J. S. Smalley, Springston; T. Fee, Temuka ; and Te Kote, Raupaki. After devotional exercises, the question was considered—“ What ministers have died during the year ?” when, after singing the 949th hymn, and prayer by the Rev. Mr Rishworth, several ministers bore testimony to the personal piety and the ministerial ability and faithfulness of the late Revs. J. B. Richardson and J. Armitage. On the motion of the Rev. J. Duller, it was resolved—“ That the Secretary be directed te forward a letter of condolence to the widows of the deceased ministers. ” The Revs. J. Buller and W. B. Marten were appointed to draw up the usual obituary notices. It was also resolved to send a telegram -to Dr Burrows, of Dunedin, expressing sympathy with him and his family in the severe accident which had recently overtaken him. The usual enquiries were then made respecting the moral character and ministerial ability of each of the ministers, the result being satisfactory in every case. The consideration of a proposal to constitute Malvern a new station was postponed till Thursday, when the lay representatives will 1 e present. All the ministers present expressed their intention of attending the Conference to be held in Christchurch in January next. The Rev. Te Kote gave an interesting account of his work among the natives in the district. The rest of the afternoon was occupied over the consideration of financial matters, to be discussed further on the assembling of the laymen.— Press.

Holloway’s Ointment and Pills.— Outward Infirmities.—Before the discovery of these remedies many case of sores, ulcers, &c., were pronounced to be hopelessly incurable, because the treatment pursued tended to destroy the strength it was incompetent to preserve, and to exasperate the symptoms it was inadequate to remove. Holloway’s Pills exert the most wholesome powers over the unhealthy flesh or skin, without debarring the patient from fresh air and exercise, and thus the constitutional vigor is husbanded while the most malignant ulcers, abscesses, and skin diseases are in process of cure. Both Ointment and Pills make the blood richer and pmer, instead of permitting it to fall into that poor and watery state so fatal to many aboring under chronic ulcerations.—[Advt.]

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